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Original Marlboro Man Never Smoked But A Picture He Took With John Wayne Got Him The Job
A famous figure in advertising got the job because of how he looked when he was seen next to a movie star
Smoking has long been a social issue in the United States. The health issues connected with the habit have often been at odds with the advertising and depiction of cigarettes in popular culture. One of the most indelible representations of smoking is the Marlboro Man, a longstanding representation of the Marlboro cigarette brand. However, Robert Norris, the first man in the role, held the job for more than a decade after being noticed in a photo he was in with his friend, legendary actor John Wayne.
Between 1954–1999, the Marlboro Man was the advertising campaign used to promote Marlboro cigarettes. In an effort to make filtered cigarettes, which used to be considered feminine, more masculine, this character was created. A stoic cowboy, he was typically depicted in print and television as smoking out on the range and doing other manly cowboy things.
During the nearly half a century the campaign ran, it became one of the most popular and influential ads in history. However, a number of men portrayed the Marlboro Man over the years. When it initially went to tv spots, the man who originally filled the role did so, despite the fact that he never smoked a cigarette in his life and didn’t care for the practice in general.
When commercials began to be produced for Marlboro, male models were hired to fill the role of the Marlboro Man, but they did not look authentic as cowboys so a wider search was undertaken to find somebody who truly looked the part.
Robert Norris is considered by many to be the original Marlboro Man. In addition to not being a smoker, he was also not a model or an actor. He rode in rodeos and owned a huge ranch of more than 60,000 acres outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. he also happened to be friends with Hollywood star, John Wayne. Somebody connected with Marlboro happened to see the tough rancher in a photograph with the actor and decided he had the perfect look for what was being sought for ads and commercials.
